The Great, Constantly Changing Picture Gallery

[OnTopTime]

USS John F. Kennedy in the Red Sea during Operation Desert Storm, February 1991. If I remember correctly, there were three carriers in the Red Sea Battle Force at the beginning of combat operations, and at least one of those three eventually made its way over to the Persian Gulf. This photo was taken on an Air Wing no-fly day, with the ship scheduled for FAS/RAS. I think the no-fly days alternated between the carriers.

Sorry for the crappy picture quality; the phot was taken with a pre-digital PhD (push here dummy) camera through a scratched up TACCO window and then scanned.

 

[HeyJoe]

USS John F. Kennedy in the Red Sea during Operation Desert Storm, February 1991. If I remember correctly, there were three carriers in the Red Sea Battle Force at the beginning of combat operations, and at least one of those three eventually made its way over to the Persian Gulf. This photo was taken on an Air Wing no-fly day, with the ship scheduled for FAS/RAS. I think the no-fly days alternated between the carriers.

Sorry for the crappy picture quality; the phot was taken with a pre-digital PhD (push here dummy) camera through a scratched up TACCO window and then scanned.

JFK and Sara were the Battle Force Red Sea Carriers under command of RADM Riley Mixson and set up shop in August 1990. USS America and USS Teddy Roosevelt sortied when it looked like the Storm was going to happen. Roosevelt did the ditch and waved as she passed by us en route to Persian Gulf. USS America arrived just as things were kicking off and could be worked into the ATO. America operated as part of the Battle Force Red Sea until summoned to the Persian Gulf to be on hand when ground war kicked off.

The carriers operated in a 12 on/12 off rotation swapping positions at noon (or thereabouts, which bit one A-7 pilot who landed on Sara by mistake). As you indicated, we'd stand down for FAS/RAS mainly for ordnance replenishment about once a week.

 

[brownshoe]

Sorta like launch at 5:04?

Yep! That's it ... (shiver)

Steve

 

[Mumbles]

Bear meets Typhoon

 

[PropAddict]

That Bear looks way bigger than a P-3

 

[Mumbles]

^ yeah...I think it's max GW is around 400K lbs vice 135K.....
it's a bit bigger. Think of how complex that counter rotating RGB must be!
edit:
cool schematic line drawing of this beast....makes you appreciate the scale.

 

[eddie]

Mumbles, your goddamn picture keeps growing!

thing is monstrous!

 

[Derf]

I always preferred cat shots. I just didn't like the sudden drop off the bow during a deck launch, the water got a bit too close.

Steve

We had about 10 people onboard plus our gear and tool boxes and the mail. If we hadn't been catted off we would have drank some salt water...

 

[Derf]

This plane was my ride to the boat. In the rear facing aft with the mail and the parts. Rough and tumble got the job done!

Steve

Always reminded me of these crumpled hat guys:

I was catted off the Lexington a bunch of times. No doubt we rode together on a few of those launches. As you stated, we sat facing aft and when launched your neck would stretch out a foot. Well, it seemed like a foot anyway. Once a pilot caught a ride back to the beach with us. When I made that comment he stated that the first time he landed on a carrier and caught the arresting wire he had his oxygen mask on loose and it stretched out and slammed back into his face.

You guys post some great photos. Thank you for that as it brings back memories with the old ones. The newer photos are super photography.

Fred

 

[HeyJoe]

That Bear looks way bigger than a P-3

They are more like a B-52 (Soviets chose counter-rotating turboprops because their turbojet technology was still lacking for long endurance flights). They are huge and very loud. The Tomcat ECS sounds like a howling hurricane and can damage your ears, but you can hear the Bear quite aways out when you join up. Very loud drone that must drive them batty inside.

 

[Derf]

Yep! That's it ... (shiver)

Steve

Damn Steve...That could have been me, you and Walt going into the drink in the C1. Ouch...and Gulp...

 

[scoolbubba]

^ yeah...I think it's max GW is around 400K lbs vice 135K.....
it's a bit bigger. Think of how complex that counter rotating RGB must be!

You think they make the Russkie cat 1 bear pilots trace fluid reliability thru their schematics?

 

[HeyJoe]

091207-N-5781T-001 AFGHANISTAN (Dec. 7, 2009) F/A-18F Super Hornets assigned to the Black Aces of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 41 and F/A-18E Super Hornets assigned to the Tophatters of VFA-14 refuel from an Air Force KC-10 Extender tanker aircraft over Afghanistan. The strike fighter squadrons are part of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group and are on a deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. j.g. Kyle Terwilliger/Released)

 

[Mumbles]

You think they make the Russkie cat 1 bear pilots trace fluid reliability thru their schematics?

I'll bet there's a lot of potential for some pretty sporty prop malfunctions with that setup.

 

[jfulginiti]

091207-N-5781T-001 AFGHANISTAN (Dec. 7, 2009) F/A-18F Super Hornets assigned to the Black Aces of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 41 and F/A-18E Super Hornets assigned to the Tophatters of VFA-14 refuel from an Air Force KC-10 Extender tanker aircraft over Afghanistan. The strike fighter squadrons are part of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group and are on a deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. j.g. Kyle Terwilliger/Released)

He was one of my students at VT-86.